28 Established 1961 Tuesday, February 20, 2018 Lifestyle Music & Movies Malaysian rapper probed over Lunar New Year dog video

rapper in Muslim-majority Malaysia is under reportedly said a probe had been launched into the in Malaysia, where a quarter of the population are police investigation for allegedly insulting artist-who is from the country’s ethnic Chinese from the Chinese diaspora, but the Year of the Dog AIslam with a Lunar New Year video that fea- minority for hurting religious feelings and “transmit- has proved sensitive. Some shops have avoided dis- tures dancers wearing dog masks and performing ting offensive communications”. Namewee, who is playing canine imagery in their decorations for fear suggestive moves, reports said yesterday. The video reported to be abroad, faces up to a year in jail if of causing offence. features controversial rapper Wee Meng Chee, found guilty. In a YouTube video, the rapper denied Namewee has repeatedly been at the center of known by his stage name Namewee, sitting on a having insulted Islam and said that the domed build- controversy. In 2016, he was detained for several chair in front of a domed building and mimicking ing visible in the background was the prime minis- days for allegedly insulting Islam over a video partly barks of canines from around the world. Several ter’s office, not a mosque. “The reports saying I filmed inside a mosque. Malaysia generally practices black-clad dancers wearing masks of dogs — an insulted Islam are not true,” he said. “We did not a moderate form of Islam but religious tensions have animal considered unclean in Islam — gyrate film the music video at any place of worship. It was escalated in recent years, with concerns growing around him. The video, which marks the start of the done in an open area.” over a rise in conservative Islamic attitudes. — AFP Year of the Dog currently being celebrated across The probe was launched after complaints from Asia, generated accusations that it was filmed in Muslim groups and public criticism from the deputy front of a mosque in the administrative capital prime minister over the video, which has more than Wee Meng Chee, center, a Putrajaya. 700,000 views on YouTube since being released on Malaysian rapper popularly National police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun February 10. Lunar New Year is a major celebration known as Namewee, is escorted by law enforcement officials.

French jazz violinist Didier Lockwood dies aged 62

oted French jazz violinist Didier Lockwood, a Scottish family, Lockwood, whose father was a music disciple of the late Stephane Grappelli, has teacher, gained an early taste for improvisation thanks Ndied of a heart attack in Paris, his agent said. to his elder brother Francis, a jazz pianist. Aged 17, Lockwood, who turned 62 on February 11, died early Lockwood joined a popular French prog rock band on Sunday morning. The night before his death, he called Magma. He later threw himself into a multitude had performed at Paris jazz venue Bal Blomet. “His of musical projects and collaborations, experimenting wife, his three daughters, his family, his agent, his co- with varied jazz styles, both electric and acoustic, from workers and his record label are sad to announce the classical fusion to gypsy swing. During his career, he sudden passing of Didier Lockwood,” his agent said wrote two operas, violin and piano concertos, lyrical in a statement. works and music for films and cartoons. In this file photo Oprah Winfrey speaks at the White House Lockwood was playing at a jazz festival when he “France has lost an exceptional musician, a man with Summit on the United State of Women in Washington, DC. — AFP met Grappelli, another French jazz great who founded a rare qualities,” wrote violinist Renaud Capucon on string quintet called the Hot Club of France in 1934 with Twitter. Lockwood’s widow is the coloratura soprano gypsy guitar legend Django Reinhardt. The violinist Patricia Petibon, acclaimed for her interpretations of invited the then 20-year-old Lockwood to join him on In this file photo taken on July 30, 2000 French composer and French Baroque music. The couple had just recorded an Trump blasts a European tour, kicking off an international career in jazz violinist Didier Lockwood performs in Nice, during the 7th album together, said Lockwood’s agent Christophe which he gave around 4,500 concerts and released Edition of the Nice Jazz Festival. Deghelt, who called him “Mr. 100,000 volts” and said more than 35 records. “That was the start of my career, the musician had a “huge” number of projects under Oprah over 60 the launchpad that got me into the world of popular minister Francoise Nyssen described Lockwood as way when he died. Lockwood was previously married jazz,” Lockwood told Radio France in 2008. “deeply generous and outgoing” and said he would be to the singer Caroline Casadesus, with whom he had Lockwood was committed to music education, in missed by “his friends, music and all the children he created a musical called “Jazz and the diva”. — AFP Minutes episode 2001 setting up the Didier Lockwood Music Centre in wished to enlighten with his passion”. a town south of Paris teaching improvisation according “He wanted to make music without borders or prej- President Donald Trump blasted media to a jazz violin method he developed. French culture udices,” she added. Born in 1956 in Calais to a French- mogul Oprah Winfrey on Twitter on Sunday USnight over a segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes program and again said he hoped she would face him as an opponent in the 2020 presidential race. Actress and television host Winfrey, now a contributor to the CBS program, led a panel of 14 Republican, Democrat and Independent voters from Grand Rapids, Michigan in a wide ranging discussion about Trump’s first year in office. Trump tweeted: “Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!” Winfrey has told various media outlets, including Entertainment Weekly, that she is not running for presi- dent, but has considered it, after there was much recent media speculation. The panelists ranged from voters who said “I love him more and more every day,” to others questioning Trump’s stability, saying, “All he does is bully people.” Winfrey made no declarative statements for or against the presi- In this file photo taken on October 10, 2005 French composer and jazz In this file photo taken on March 14, 2007 French composer and jazz violinist Didier Lockwood interprets excerpts of dent in the program. But she did ask questions ranging violinist Didier Lockwood (right) pose with his companion French Opera the music score during the world film premiere of the animated Franco-Belgian co-production ‘Princess of the Sun’, a from whether the country is better off economically to singer Caroline Casadesus (left), at the Theatre of the Gaite cartoon staged during Egyptian pharoah Tutankhamenís reign and presented at the Giza pyramidís esplanade in whether respect for the country is eroding around the Montparnasse in Paris, at the end of their show ‘le Jazz et la Diva’ (The Cairo. — AFP photos world. — Reuters Jazz and the Diva). As ‘Black Panther’ shows, inclusion pays at the box office

lavish, headline-grabbing premiere. Lightning the tent-pole business, you have to have diversity in to the Jungle.” The film, starring Dwayne Johnson and word-of-mouth stoked by glowing reviews. storytelling, in the characters that you put in front of Kevin Hart, reigned over the January box office as the APacked movie theaters with sold-out shows, the camera, in the artisans you put behind the camera no. 1 film on four weekends. long lines and fans decked out as characters from the - to be able to get that better, richer storytelling and “Jumanji” has grossed more than $904 million film. The phenomenon of “Black Panther” had the to drive huge results,” said Dave Hollis, distribution worldwide, including more than a half a billion dollars look and feel of a classic, bona fide blockbuster in chief for Disney. “The results speak for themselves.” overseas. The old argument that films starring route to its record-setting $192 million debut over the Hollis pointed to the many factors that made “Black African-American actors don’t travel well has never weekend, or an estimated $218 million Friday through Panther” a hit: Coogler’s direction, the stewardship of had a worse two months. “Black Panther” opened Monday. Much has been made about the film indus- Kevin Feige’s Marvel, the reliability of the brand. But with $160 million abroad, even without several mar- try’s struggles to tap into pop culture the way it once he also noted a developing pattern for Disney - that kets (China, Japan, Russia) yet open. And in more regularly did - that TV and streaming options inclusive films are both richer for their diversity and, Hollywood, nothing talks like money. “‘Black Panther’ and a dearth of fresh ideas have diminished the pow- often, richer for the bottom line. can be an important first step toward really dispelling er of the big screen. “It feels like the right thing to do. It makes for bet- the myth that has held Hollywood back for genera- But when Hollywood does manufacture a must-see ter, richer storytelling, and we’re a business. It’s tions in terms of telling the stories that we certainly Cosplayers portraying characters from the 2018 US superhero film based on the theatrical event, it has increasingly been propelled by something that’s just delivered big, huge box office,” want to see in this country but I think that the rest of Marvel Comics character, “The Black Panther” pose in the Kenyan capital, the power of inclusivity. Just as Jordan Peele’s Oscar- said Hollis. “When we have leaned into and had inclu- the world wants to see, too,” said Hunt. Nairobi. — AFP photos nominated “Get Out” ($253 million worldwide on a sion and representation as part of the mix, it’s just $4.5 million production budget) and Patty Jenkins really worked. When you think about ‘Star Wars” and Films reflect society “Wonder Woman” ($821.1 million) did before it, ‘Rogue One,’ the female protagonist leading those Studies have also shown that diverse casts attract “Black Panther” captured the zeitgeist by the potent stories. Also ‘Moana’ or ‘Coco.’ ‘Coco’ has been an wider audiences. Last year, talent agency CAA found combination of top-notch filmmaking (the film stands absolute juggernaut.” that of the top 10 grossing films in 2016, 47 percent at 97 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), studio of the opening-weekend audience was made up of backing and an audience hungry to see itself repre- Culturally authentic people of color, up 2 percent from the year before. sented on the big screen in a way it seldom has “Coco,” which is expected to win the Oscar for The effect was even more pronounced in the biggest before. At the box office, inclusion is paying - and best animated feature next month, has gross more hits. Seven of the 10 highest-grossing films from 2016 often, it’s paying off big time. than $730 million worldwide. It’s the biggest budget had opening weekend audiences more than 50 per- release starring an all-Latino cast. Rian Johnson’s cent white. The audience for “Black Panther” was 65 Global stage “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which has grossed $1.3 percent non-white, including 37 percent black, “Diversity does in fact, sell,” said Darnell Hunt, a billion worldwide, did more than any previous “Star according to comScore. Latinos and African professor and director of social science at UCLA Wars” film to elevate its female characters, and fea- Americans are also more eager moviegoers, accord- Cosplayers portraying characters from the 2018 US superhero film based on the whose research has detailed the connection between tured the widely hailed breakout star Kelly Marie ing to the Motion Picture Association of America. Marvel Comics character, ‘The Black Panther’ pose in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. diversity and bottom lines. “In hindsight, it’s kind of a Tran. By promoting diversity in its films, Disney has In the MPAA’s most recent report, it found that no-brainer. The American public is about 40 percent faced some backlash from social-media critics who though Latinos make up 18 percent of the US popu- people of color now, and we know that people of col- deride films like “The Last Jedi” and Sony’s 2015?s lation, they account for 23 percent of frequent movie- or over-index in terms of media consumption. The female-led “Ghostbusters” as politically correct over- goers. Though African Americans are 12 percent of patterns we’ve been seeing are only becoming more reach. Some fans have even gone to the extraordinary the population, they make up 15 percent of frequent pronounced as time goes on.” “Black Panther” length of trying to drive down audience scores for moviegoers. “If you look at some of the bigger block- debuted with $361 million in worldwide ticket sales, those films. busters from the last year, they were representative setting up the $200 million film for a theatrical run But consider the fate of movies that haven’t tried of what the audience are looking for, how they’re that should easily eclipse $1 billion. History is assured. as hard to be culturally authentic. Paramount’s “Ghost feeling,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media ana- Just months after Jenkins helmed the biggest box- in the Shell,” which starred Scarlett Johansson in a lyst for comScore. “These films reflect society and office hit directed by a woman, Ryan Coogler will set role originally written as a cyborg in a Japanese then society reflects back on the films. That’s when a new mark for films directed by an African American. woman’s body, last year bombed at the box office you get to these much bigger than expected debuts. The debut, the best ever for February, is the fifth after a backlash over Johansson’s casting. Meanwhile, It becomes more than a movie. It becomes a cultural highest of all time, not accounting for inflation. the diverse cast of Universal’s “The Fast and the event.” Communal movie-going may be under siege At a time where hits are hard to come by for Furious” films helped make it one of the most bank- from other entertainment options. But films like Invited guests watch the film “Black Panther” in 3D which featuring Oscar-win- Hollywood, diversity in storytelling is proving to be able franchises in movies. Other standout hits have “Black Panther” are making movie theaters more ning Mexico born Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o during Movie Jabber’s Black not only a just cause, but a box-office imperative. “If included “Girls Trip” - the biggest comedy of 2017 - communal than ever. — AP Panther Cosplay Screening in Nairobi, Kenya. you want to succeed on the global stage, certainly in and Sony’s unexpectedly lucrative “Jumanji: Welcome